Hey, gearing up for your first trip to Vietnam? Awesome! Let us be your go-to foodie friend, showing you the incredible world of Vietnamese food and sharing some tips to make your taste adventure a breeze.
When you first step into Vietnam, the menu might look like a whirlwind of choices, especially if the language is new to you. Before digging in, locals always kick off with a warm 'chucngonmieng' to wish you a fantastic meal—trust me, it feels like a tasty welcome hug!
Vietnamese folks absolutely adore their food, using local flavors to create dishes you won't forget. Each part of Vietnam has its own food vibe: simple in the north, a bit sweeter in the south—totally yum in every way!
You might've heard about 'Pho,' but Vietnam's food story is much bigger! If you're a noodle or soup lover, get ready for a dreamland of flavors—seriously, there's soup magic everywhere you look.
From bustling markets to street food gems and fancy restaurants, Vietnam's food scene is a treasure trove waiting to be explored. Here's a top tip: if a dish looks mouthwatering, it's probably delicious! So, go ahead, dive into this food adventure. Warning: one trip might not be enough to taste it all!
# PhoWhen I visited the capital city of Vietnam my first impression was the abundant food options available there and almost all of them have a word written Pho. You can find this delicious dish in Vietnam everywhere, and you can enjoy it in your whole tour from the movement you land to the movement you fly back to your nest. You can find locals sitting on the small plastic chairs in the day or night, slurping through their bowls on small plastic tables. If you want to have a real experience of Pho you should also try to sit with locals and share a bowl or two. Locals here are very friendly and maybe you will make some good friends here. Two major varieties of Pho are Pho Bo (noodles with beef) and Pho Ga (noodles with chicken). This Vietnamese dish is basically a broth with flat noodles and herbs as flavors and garnished with lime, sprouts, basil, cilantro, and red chilies. Trying a pho can be a real challenge sometimes and I am not talking about the challenge to fit yourself in tiny chairs of local outlets, I am talking about the small red chilies which are very spicy and if you are not in habit of spicy food, it can upset your stomach.
# Banh Mi Banh mi is originated from southern Vietnam but is commonly available in the whole country and in my opinion, the best Banh mi is available in the Southern and in some central parts of Vietnam. This Vietnamese dish is commonly found on the food carts on the roadside. Margarine is spread on the inside of the bread and is filled with vegetables, pork belly, cucumber, and pork floss. Sink into its softness and watch it melt into your mouth.
# Bun ChaBun Cha is the most liked dish of Vietnam by locals and is one of the favorite foods for lunch. This local dish becomes an international sensation when president Barack Obama was pictured with Anthony Bourdain, rolling up their sleeves to dip noodles in ground pork in Nuoc Cham. Nuoc Cham is a sauce made with fish, sugar, and vinegar.
Make sure that when you eat Bun Cha, add green vegetables like lettuce, cilantro, sprouts, and banana blossoms in your dipping bowl. This Vietnamese dish is made up of rice with seasoned pork belly and salad. They all swim in the bowl with fish sauce in it.
# Ca Phe TrungThe one thing which makes you happy in the morning in Vietnam is coffee. The reason behind this is, the coffee in Vietnam is different. Coffee in Vietnam is very common because of French influence and you can find roadside stalls. Authentic coffee of Vietnam is egg coffee in which you can find extra condensed milk, extra sugar with whipped egg on top of hot coffee. This invention is treated as a dessert by many tourists and it is surely the best drink in Vietnam which you can eat. Many of the restaurants in Hanoi provide variations of egg coffee, you can order it hot or cold based on your taste. Variations of Ca PheTrung are available like chocolate, rum, or beer.
# Bun BoIn Vietnam, dishes made with beef are very limited, so if you are a beef lover, go for the Bun Bo, it will surely be a once in a lifetime experience. Sliced beef grilled with fresh noodles topped with fresh herbs makes it very delicious. In some places, Bun Bo is made with pork. Other ingredients used are lemongrass, shrimp, and lime to enhance the flavor. Bun Bo dish of Vietnam is easily available in the country.
# Hai SanVietnam is a hub for seafood. Hai san is a famous dish of Vietnam for parties and dinner. When you roam in Vietnam you can easily see locals cheering while eating Hai san and drinking local beers or wines. Based on your interest you can get shrimp, crabs, snails, oysters, and ducks. The difficult part in having seafood is to select what actually you want, the easy part is to decide whether you want it grilled or with gravy. Now comes the part where you can enjoy your meal with a bottle of local beer, in case you are not interested in the beer you can have fruit drinks or local mocktails.